California Micro, MagnaChip Ink Foundry Agreement

Milpitas, Calif.-based California Micro Devices (CMD) and MagnaChip Semiconductor Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea, announced they have signed a strategic foundry business and process technology transfer deal. MagnaChip is expected to port proprietary CMD process technology to its fabrication facility in Gumi, South Korea, to enable production of CMD protection chips for mobile handset and digital consumer electronics applications. Also, CMD will use MagnaChip's existing 0.35-µm, 5- to 18-V high-voltage processes in MagnaChip's Cheongju, Korea, fab to produce its PhotonIC LED driver chips. "MagnaChip's advanced technology and manufacturing capabilities are complementary with our strategy of broadening our foundry capabilities for customers worldwide," said Manuel H. Mere, CMD vice president of operations and information systems.